EQUATORIAL GUINEA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 28,050 km2; land area: 28,050 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: 539 km total; Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km Coastline: 296 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay Climate: tropical; always hot, humid Terrain: coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic Natural resources: timber, crude oil, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 51%; other 33% Environment: subject to violent windstorms Note: insular and continental regions rather widely separated PEOPLE Population: 378,729 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991) Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective--Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean Ethnic divisions: indigenous population of Bioko, primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos; Rio Muni, primarily Fang; less than 1,000 Europeans, mostly Spanish Religion: natives all nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic; some pagan practices retained Language: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980); labor shortages on plantations; 58% of population of working age (1985) Organized labor: no formal trade unions GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea Type: republic Capital: Malabo Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia); Bioko, Rio Muni; note--there may now be 6 provinces named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele Nzas Independence: 12 October 1968 (from Spain; formerly Spanish Guinea) Constitution: 15 August 1982 Legal system: in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom National holiday: Independence Day, 12 October (1968) Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives of the People (Camara de Representantes del Pueblo) Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal Leaders: Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979); Head of Government--Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE BIOKO MALABO (since 15 August 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidoro Eyi MONSUY ANDEME (since 15 August 1989) Political parties and leaders: only party--Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, party leader Suffrage: universal adult at age NA Elections: President--last held 25 June 1989 (next to be held 25 June 1996); results--President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was reelected without opposition; Chamber of People's Representatives--last held 10 July 1988 (next to be held 10 July 1993); results--PDGE is the only party; seats--(41 total) PDGE 41 Communists: no significant number Member of: ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Damaso OBIANG NDONG; Chancery at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1403, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 599-1523; US--Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William MITHOEFER; Embassy at Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo (mailing address is P. O. Box 597, Malabo; telephone 240 (9) 2185, 2406, 2507 Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice) ECONOMY Overview: The economy, destroyed during the regime of former President Macias Nguema, is now based on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which account for about 60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Subsistence agriculture predominates, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products providing income, foreign exchange, and government revenues. There is little industry. Commerce accounts for about 10% of GNP, and the construction, public works, and service sectors for about 34%. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful, and some revenues from oil exports will begin rolling in by mid-1991. GDP: $144 million, per capita $411; real growth rate 2.9% (1988 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (1989 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $23 million; expenditures $31 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988) Exports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--coffee, timber, cocoa beans; partners--Spain 44%, FRG 19%, Italy 12%, Netherlands 11% (1987) Imports: $57.1 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery; partners--Spain 34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands 8% (1987) External debt: $195 million (1989) Industrial production: growth rate - 6.8% (1990 est.); acounts for about 4% of GDP Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: fishing, sawmilling Agriculture: cash crops--timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops--rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-89), $14 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $112 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $55 million Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March COMMUNICATIONS Highways: Rio Muni--1,024 km; Bioko--216 km Ports: Malabo, Bata Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo and 1 passenger-cargo Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft Airports: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: poor system with adequate government services; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 2,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 79,641; 40,369 fit for military service Defense expenditures: $NA, 11% of GNP (FY81 est.)